The Great Crystal Caper
by BalthierFan6828
Summary: Balthier, Vaan, and Basch become lost in the great crystal after a hunt. Will their dire situation cause Balthier to admit his feelings for Vaan? Bal/Vaan pairing.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello my freaky little darlings. I know it has been a very long time since I've updated anything or put out any new fics but a lot has been going on. Sorry to all of you who have been waiting for the ending to my three unfinished fics for so very long and I promise I will get to updating as soon as I can. However, this is a fic I wrote a few months ago when I got hopelessly lost in the great crystal and literally ran around in circles for hours trying to find my way out. This fic has a BalthierxVaan pairing and is rated T for cursing. I hope you enjoy and please review.**

**The Great Crystal Caper**

Basch met Balthier's gaze with a quiet shrug. All of the glowing platforms of the great crystal looked the exact same to him, and he for one hadn't had a clue where they'd been in over an hour.

"What do you want to do?" The pirate crossed his arms as he glanced around, "We've got the gate stone and two exits, or we could back track up to the way stone." He sighed as he wiped a droplet of sweat from his chin, "You choose it's all the same to me."

Basch sighed and considered their options, "Which gate does it control?"

Balthier made his way around the stone slowly, looking at its engraved markings. "Libra," he grumbled, meeting Basch's eyes with a deadpan expression.

"Haven't we already been through Libra?" asked Vaan. The boy stood with his back to them, looking out over the expanse, his sword held limply by his side.

"No, that was Gemini," Basch offered in his most optimistic voice, and met Balthier's gaze again. The pirate's sweat covered face held a grim expression, and though Basch's small lie might have fooled Vaan, Balthier was having none of it. He knew as well as Basch did…they were going in circles.

They had been lost before, many times in fact. But never like this. They had hiked miles in the wrong direction before, through swamps and deserts, through snow and dark caves. But they had always sorted it out and found their bearings in the end. They may have been a little worse for wear afterwards, with sore limbs and splitting headaches, but they had always found their way.

They had known up front that the crystal was hard to navigate, but it seemed that all one really needed to do was pay attention to get through the maze of way stones and timed gates. At least it had seemed simple on the way in. They'd had no trouble making their way to way stone XX, and just as their source had promised the rare skull knight that they were hunting was right there. Just waiting for them. The battle itself had been quite simple and the three companions had laughed and celebrated their victory before heading back the way they'd come. Except it hadn't been the way they'd come at all. Now, six hours later, they'd gone in so many circles and through so many gates that Basch was beginning to wonder if there even was a way out at all.

Balthier was still staring at him, waiting for his decision.

"I say we hit the gate stone and pick an exit," he said finally, "we already know where that way stone back there goes and at least if we run into the Libra gate we'll have hit the stone."

Balthier nodded and pulled a stub of pencil from behind his ear, "Pick an exit then," he muttered.

The pirate had been attempting to construct a makeshift map of the crystal for over two hours now. He'd scribble which stone went where, where the different gates and their locks were, and every time they left a platform he'd write down which way they went. He hoped by keeping track of where they'd already been, they could find a way out. But the map was crude and confusing.

"Left," Basch decided after another moments hesitation, glad that Balthier merely nodded and made a quick scribble on his paper instead of questioning him. He tried to convince himself that there was a pattern to this place; that the direction he'd chosen was based on some sort of logic…that he wasn't just guessing.

But he was guessing. He'd chosen the left path simply because it was closer to him. He wished Balthier would just lead the way, he wished he wouldn't leave these decisions up to him, but he knew the pirate was beyond exhausted. He'd spent most of the last few hours keeping a watchful eye on Vaan, worrying over the boy's every move. Vaan himself was scared, he'd been annoyed at first but now Basch could tell the boy just wanted to go home. Perhaps that was why Balthier had become so angry and despondent over the last few hours. He seemed to be very concerned with the boy of late, and Basch wondered what the sparkle he saw in the pirate's eyes every time he looked at Vaan meant.

_To be continued…_

**Hope you enjoyed and please review. More BalthierxVaan to come in the upcoming chapters.**


	2. Grey's Absence

**I have been asked to post on Grey's behalf that he will not be able to update for at least six weeks, possibly longer as he has been detained by certain unforeseen circumstances. He apologizes and hopes you understand. He will update as soon as he is able, however; at this point in time there is just no way. **


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